Business-to-business: Difference between revisions
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[[File:Guangzhou-electronic-components-shop-0479.jpg|thumb|The "electronic components district" of [[Guangzhou]], where numerous shops sell electronic components to other companies that would use them to manufacture consumer goods.]] |
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{{Infobox company |
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'''Business-to-business''' ('''B2B''') describes commerce transactions between businesses, such as between a [[manufacturer]] and a [[wholesaler]], or between a wholesaler and a retailer. Contrasting terms are business-to-consumer ([[business-to-consumer|B2C]]) and business-to-government ([[business-to-government|B2G]]). |
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|name = The WEBstaurant Store |
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'''B2B branding''' is a term used in [[marketing]]. |
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|logo = [[File:WEBstaurant Store Logo.png|200px|Logo of The WEBstaurant Store]] |
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|caption = |
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|type = [[Privately_held_company|Private]] |
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|industry = [[Foodservice]] |
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|founder = Fred Clark |
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|location_city = [[Lititz, Pennsylvania|Lititz]], [[Pennsylvania]] |
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|area_served = [[United States]] |
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|website = www.webstaurantstore.com |
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}} |
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The WEBstaurant Store is an online restaurant supply company based in [[Lititz, Pennsylvania]]. The company offers commercial-grade equipment to the [[foodservice]] industry through online ordering and commercial shipping. The WEBstaurant Store is a division of Clark Associates, Inc., which was rated as Central Pennsylvania's fastest growing company in 2013 by the Central Penn Business Journal<ref>[http://blog.pennlive.com/business/2013/10/central_penn_business_journal_3.html]</ref>. It was also rated as the fourth largest restaurant supply distributor in 2014 by Foodservice Equipment & Supplies Magazine<ref>[http://fesmag.com/research/distribution-giants/11646-2014-distribution-giants]</ref>. |
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== History == |
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The WEBstaurant Store was founded in Lancaster, Pennsylvania as a [[business-to-business]] (B2B) sales company. The company is now led by President Dave Groff who helped establish the business in 2004. |
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In 2012, the company expanded to [[Madisonville, Kentucky]]<ref>[http://www.lanereport.com/1642/2011/07/clark-associates-to-hire-95-for-distribution-facility/]</ref> followed in 2013 by another expansion to [[Dayton, Nevada]]<ref>[http://lancasteronline.com/business/webstaurant-adds-nevada-site-to-serve-western-states/article_4406c66c-10be-57b4-9ab5-79e6b5ebeed1.html]</ref>. Also in 2013, the company moved headquarters from [[Smoketown, Pennsylvania|Smoketown]] to Lititz to accommodate a growing number of employees<ref>[http://lancasteronline.com/business/kitchen-supply-firm-expanding/article_3e4094a5-915d-5dfb-93ed-e42c1ec3a5e6.html]</ref>. |
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== Organizational Structure == |
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The overall volume of B2B (Business-to-Business) transactions is much higher than the volume of B2C transactions.<ref>{{cite book | last = Sandhusen | first = Richard | title = Marketing | publisher = Barron's Educational Series | location = Hauppauge, N.Y | year = 2008 | isbn = 0-7641-3932-0 | page = 520}} |
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The WEBstaurant Store is a privately owned company that follows a traditional corporate [[Hierarchical_organization|hierarchy]] with Dave Groff as the acting president followed by a vice president, director, and financial controller. The bulk of the employees are split among several individual departments, such as customer service and programming, that each concentrate on different facets of the business. The company also heavily employs [[DISC assessment|DISC personality testing]] as a way to gauge employee work personalities. |
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</ref><ref>{{cite book | last = Shelly | first = Gary | title = Systems analysis and design | publisher = Course Technology, Cengage Learning | location = Boston, MA | year = 2011 | isbn = 0-538-47443-2 | page = 10}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last = Garbade | first = Michael | title = Differences in Venture Capital Financing of U.S., UK, German and French Information Technology Start-ups A Comparative Empirical Research of the Investment Process on the Venture Capital Firm Level | publisher = GRIN Verlag GmbH | location = München | year = 2011 | isbn = 3-640-89316-6 | page = 31}}</ref> The primary reason for this is that in a typical [[supply chain]] there will be many B2B transactions involving sub components or [[raw materials]], and only one B2C transaction, specifically sale of the finished product to the end customer. For example, an automobile manufacturer makes several B2B transactions such as buying tires, glass for windscreens, and rubber hoses for its vehicles. The final transaction, a finished vehicle sold to the consumer, is a single ([[business-to-consumer|B2C]]) transaction. |
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== Charitable Initiatives == |
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B2B is also used in the context of communication and collaboration. Many businesses are now using social media to connect with their consumers (B2C); however, they are now using similar tools within the business so employees can connect with one another. When communication is taking place amongst employees, this can be referred to as "B2B" communication. |
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As a subsidiary of Clark Associates, Inc., the WEBstaurant Store is a contributing member of the Clark Associates Charitable Foundation. The foundation raises money through a number of donation channels to give back to the local community in a number of ways, including academic scholarships<ref>[http://patsa.org/programs/clark-grant]</ref>. |
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Independently, the WEBstaurant Store organizes "Volunteer Days" under coordinator Emily Gertenbach on a monthly basis to aid local organizations. Previous volunteer collaborators include [[Water Street Ministries]], the [[Sierra Club]] <ref>[http://pennsylvania.sierraclub.org/lancaster/NewsletterSummer2013.pdf]</ref>, and [[Relay for Life]]. The WEBstaurant Store has also opened its doors to host local organizations such as Lancaster Young Professionals<ref>[http://www.lyp.org/event/annual-holiday-mixer/]</ref>. |
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==Differences between B2B and B2C== |
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The main difference between B2B and B2C is who is the buyer of a product or service. The purchasing process is different in both cases and the following is a list of key differences between them. |
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===Risks=== |
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Approve the purchase of an unknown brand, thus posing a social risk. |
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===Buying behaviour in a B2B environment=== |
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Some characteristics of organizational buying / selling behaviour in detail: |
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* For consumer brands the buyer is an individual. In B2B there are usually committees of people in an organization and each of the members may have different attitudes towards any brand. In addition, each party involved may have different reasons for buying or not buying a particular brand. |
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* Since there are more people involved in the decision making process and technical details may have to be discussed in length, the decision-making process for B2B products is usually much longer than in B2C. |
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* Companies seek long-term relationships as any experiment with a different brand will have impacts on the entire business. Brand loyalty is therefore much higher than in consumer goods markets. |
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* While consumer goods usually cost little in comparison to B2B goods, the selling process involves high costs. Not only is it required to meet the buyer numerous times, but the buyer may ask for prototypes, samples and mock ups. Such detailed assessment serves the purpose of eliminating the risk of buying the wrong product or service. |
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==B2B brands need to be differentiated== |
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One of the characteristics of a B2B product is that in many cases it is bought by a committee of buyers. It is important to understand what a brand means to these buyers. (Note: Temporal) Buyers are usually well-versed with costing levels and specifications. Also, due to constant monitoring of the market, these buyers would have excellent knowledge of the products too. In many cases the purchases are specification driven. As a result of this, it is vital that brands are clearly defined and target the appropriate segment. |
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As explained above, every one product can only be associated with one brand. Because of this, it is vital that companies find a white space for their brand, an uncontested category to occupy space in the minds of the buyer. |
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In differentiating one’s brand, companies can use various strategies, often referring to the origin of the goods or the processes used to manufacture the product(s). Some have identified up to 13 such strategies. Depending on the company’s history, the competitive landscape, occupied spaces and white spaces, there could be one or many strategies that any one company could use. |
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Ultimately, a strong B2B brand will reduce the perceived risk for the buyer and help sell the brand. |
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==References== |
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{{reflist}} |
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* Prashant Kasera J. (2006): 'World of B2B' '1st Edition , India. |
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* De Chernatony L. et al. (2003): ''Creating Powerful Brands'' Elsevier/Butterworth-Heinemann, 3rd Edition |
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* Huczynski, A. et al. (2001): ''Organisational Behaviour'' 4th Edition, Harlow |
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* Ries A. et al. (1994): ''The 22 Immutable laws of Marketing'' [[Harper Collins]] Publishers |
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* Dr. Temporal, P. (2005): ''B2B Branding–A Guide to Successful Business-to-Business Brands'', International Enterprise Singapore |
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* Tai J. et al. (2008): ''Killer Differentiators–13 Strategies to Grow Your Brand'', Marshall Cavendish Business |
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* Trout, J. (2004): ''Trout on Strategy: capturing mindshare, conquering markets''. McGraw-Hill |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Business-To-Business}} |
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[[Category:Marketing terminology]] |
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[[Category:E-commerce]] |
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[[Category:Information technology management]] |
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Revision as of 20:28, 10 April 2014
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| Logo of The WEBstaurant Store | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Foodservice |
| Founder | Fred Clark |
| Headquarters | |
Area served | United States |
| Website | www.webstaurantstore.com |
The WEBstaurant Store is an online restaurant supply company based in Lititz, Pennsylvania. The company offers commercial-grade equipment to the foodservice industry through online ordering and commercial shipping. The WEBstaurant Store is a division of Clark Associates, Inc., which was rated as Central Pennsylvania's fastest growing company in 2013 by the Central Penn Business Journal[1]. It was also rated as the fourth largest restaurant supply distributor in 2014 by Foodservice Equipment & Supplies Magazine[2].
History
The WEBstaurant Store was founded in Lancaster, Pennsylvania as a business-to-business (B2B) sales company. The company is now led by President Dave Groff who helped establish the business in 2004. In 2012, the company expanded to Madisonville, Kentucky[3] followed in 2013 by another expansion to Dayton, Nevada[4]. Also in 2013, the company moved headquarters from Smoketown to Lititz to accommodate a growing number of employees[5].
Organizational Structure
The WEBstaurant Store is a privately owned company that follows a traditional corporate hierarchy with Dave Groff as the acting president followed by a vice president, director, and financial controller. The bulk of the employees are split among several individual departments, such as customer service and programming, that each concentrate on different facets of the business. The company also heavily employs DISC personality testing as a way to gauge employee work personalities.
Charitable Initiatives
As a subsidiary of Clark Associates, Inc., the WEBstaurant Store is a contributing member of the Clark Associates Charitable Foundation. The foundation raises money through a number of donation channels to give back to the local community in a number of ways, including academic scholarships[6]. Independently, the WEBstaurant Store organizes "Volunteer Days" under coordinator Emily Gertenbach on a monthly basis to aid local organizations. Previous volunteer collaborators include Water Street Ministries, the Sierra Club [7], and Relay for Life. The WEBstaurant Store has also opened its doors to host local organizations such as Lancaster Young Professionals[8].